The Idaho Daily Statesman
Saturday, May 12, 1951

Joseph Breshears, Eagle, Succumbs

EAGLE (Special) -- Joseph H. Breshears, 79, died Friday at his home in Eagle.

He was born in Polk county, Mo., Aug. 14, 1871, and came across the plains with his parents as a small child. They settled in the Boise valley where Mr. Breshears resided until his death.

Mr. Breshears, a farmer by occupation, was a member of the Baptist church at Eagle,and also belonged to Valley Lodge No. 100, Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Margaret Breshears, Eagle; sons, Clarence of Horseshoe Bend, Wilbur of Nampa, and Ray Breshears of Caldwell; three daughters, Mrs. Lizzie Anderson, Ontario, Ore., Mrs. Florence Kearns, and Mrs. Stella Mellor, both of Boise; four stepchildren, Mrs. Gem Smithers, and Wesley Breshears, Boise; Mrs. Erma Breshears, Nampa, and Mrs. Ella Achenbach, Jerome; one brother, Reuben Breshears, Homedale; one sister, Mrs. Minnie Eytchison, Star, and 17 grandchildren.

Summers chapel will arrange services.
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(Published in History of Idaho: The Gem of the Mountains Vol. 3 by James H. Hawley 1920)

Joe H. Breshears, identified with farming interests in Ada county, was born in Polk county, Missouri, August 14, 1872. He came to Idaho with his parents, Thomas H. and Nancy (Potter) Breshears, in the year 1877. The father engaged in farming, taking up a homestead of eighty acres in Ada county, eight miles northwest of Boise. Thereon he lived until 1916, when death called him on the 28th of February. The mother a year later removed to a place east of Eagle, where she still lives at the age of sixty-eight years.

Their son, Joe H. Breshears, attended the old Cox district school, known as Green Meadows school district. No. 29. At the age of twenty years he started out in life on his own account and purchased twenty acres west of Eagle, where he lived for three years. He then sold that place to Dudley Hedden and bought his present farm of one hundred and two and a half acres located three-quarters of a mile northwest of Eagle. It was raw land and he has improved it, erecting thereon a beautiful residence, a fine barn and everything that goes to make a model farm property of the twentieth century. He also owned the adjoining place across the road of one hundred and twenty acres but sold it in the spring of 1919 for one hundred and seventy-five dollars per acre. This place he bought for his son, C. E., but seeing the opportunity of making a handsome profit, sold it. Mr. Breshears engages in raising hay, grain, fruit and beef cattle and also conducts a dairy of ten cows. He is a stockholder in the Eagle Bank, the Eagle Cheese Factory and the Boise Valley Packing Plant, located at Eagle, the last named being under state inspection and regarded as one of the largest paying industries of the state.

Mr. Breshears is acquainted with all phases of pioneer life. When at the home of his father, east of Eagle, the family had a severe Indian scare, and the father took his wife and children to Boise, where he left them. He returned and camped out until things quieted down. The family is among the oldest in the state, and with every phase of Idaho's development and upbuilding they are familiar. Mr. Breshears of this review built the first house on his place over twenty years ago and now uses it as a garage. He was associated with the Farmers Union Ditch Company and assisted in building the ditch, which is twenty-five miles in length and extends to the Canyon county line. For two years he acted as president of the company. He is truly a self-made man. He had but five dollars left after paying the minister when he was married. He purchased his first twenty acres of land in 1890 on time payments and paid off eighty dollars the first year. The land cost him fifty dollars an acre. Upon the place he built a house costing six hundred dollars, obtaining most of the material on credit. It was in April, 1901, that he purchased his present property, to which he removed the following fall. In the meantime he had paid for his original twenty acres and the sale of that property enabled him to purchase his present home and incur an indebtedness thereby of only seventeen hundred dollars, which he soon discharged. He today has one of the fine farm properties of his section, thoroughly equipped with modern machinery and farm implements as well as splendid buildings.

It was on the 23d of March. 1893, that Mr. Breshears was married to Miss Anna V. Saxton, of Michigan, and they have eight children: Lizzie, who was married October 23, 1919, to Lyle Anderson and is living at Ellensburg, Washington: C. C who married Inez Cullen of Idaho, and has one child, Harold Elwood; Florence, the wife of Gilbert Kearns, living at Homedale, by whom she has two children, Violet and Elmer; Stella, Wilburn, Raymond and Floyd, who are attending school; and Archie J., deceased.

Mr. Breshears is indeed widely known in this section of the state and his activities have been of a character which have contributed in substantial measure to the progress and prosperity of the district as well as to his individual success, He is now identified with various important commercial and financial interests at Eagle, and his sound judgment and enterprise make his cooperation a valuable adjunct to any business concern.